Portulaca plant named ‘LAZPRT1502’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Portulaca  plant named ‘LAZPRT1502’, characterized by its semi-upright to spreading growth habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; fully double dark yellow-colored flowers; and excellent garden performance.

Botanical designation: Portulaca umbraticola Kunth.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LAZPRT1502’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPortulaca plant, botanically known as Portulaca umbraticola Kunth,commonly known as Wingpod Purslane, and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘LAZPRT1502’.

The new Portulaca plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Merano, South Tyrol, Italy. The objectiveof the breeding program is to create new vigorous and freely branchingPortulaca plants with numerous fully double flowers.

The new Portulaca plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofa proprietary selection of Portulaca umbraticola Kunth identified ascode number I/7-A, not patented. The new Portulaca plant was discoveredand selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within apopulation of plants of the parent selection in a controlled greenhouseenvironment in Merano, South Tyrol, Italy during the spring of 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Portulaca plant cuttings in a controlledgreenhouse environment in Merano, South Tyrol, Italy since the spring of2014, has shown that the unique features of this new Portulaca plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Portulaca have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘LAZPRT1502’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘LAZPRT1502’ as a new and distinct Portulacaplant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright to spreading growth habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Fully double dark yellow-colored flowers.    -   6. Excellent garden performance.

Plants of the new Portulaca can be compared to plants of the parentselection. Plants of the new Portulaca differ primarily from plants ofthe parent selection in flower color as plants of the parent selectionhave yellow orange-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Portulaca can be compared to plants of Portulacaoleracea ‘Dynamite Golden’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons,plants of the new Portulaca differ primarily from plants of ‘DynamiteGolden’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Flowers of plants of the new Portulaca are more fully double        with more petaloids per flower than flowers of plants of        ‘Dynamite Golden’.    -   2. Petaloids of plants of the new Portulaca are narrower and        flatter than petaloids of plants of ‘Dynamite Golden’.    -   3. Plants of the new Portulaca and ‘Dynamite Golden’ differ in        petal and petaloid color as plants of ‘Dynamite Golden’ have        yellow and orange-colored petals and petaloids.

Plants of the new Portulaca can also be compared to plants of Portulacaoleracea ‘Dynamite Lemon Yellow’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons, plants of the new Portulaca differ primarily from plants of‘Dynamite Lemon Yellow’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Flowers of plants of the new Portulaca are more fully double        with more petaloids per flower than flowers of plants of        ‘Dynamite Lemon Yellow’.    -   2. Plants of the new Portulaca and ‘Dynamite Lemon Yellow’        differ in petal and petaloid color as plants of ‘Dynamite Lemon        Yellow’ have lemon yellow-colored petals and petaloids.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Portulaca plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Portulaca plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘LAZPRT1502’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the summer in an outdoor nurseryin Merano, South Tyrol, Italy and under cultural practices typical ofcommercial Portulaca production. During the production of the plants,day and night temperatures ranged from 13.8° C. to 28.6° C. and lightlevels ranged from 60 to 70 klux. Plants were four months old when thephotograph and the description were taken. In the description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Portulaca umbraticola Kunth ‘LAZPRT1502’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary    selection of Portulaca umbraticola Kunth identified as code number    I/7-A, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 days at            temperatures about 22° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at            temperatures about 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days            at temperatures about 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 28 days            at temperatures about 15° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; pale creamy white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Semi-upright to spreading plant            habit; vigorous growth habit; relatively rapid growth rate.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with lateral            branches developing at every node; pinching is not required.        -   Overall plant height.—About 15 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 40 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 30 cm to 50 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 5 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 3 mm to 30 mm.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous; succulent.        -   Color.—Close to 148A underlain with close to 185B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, subtending the flowers, whorled;            simple.        -   Length.—About 1.8 cm to 4 cm.        -   Width.—About 7 mm to 15 mm.        -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex.—Initially acute becoming more rounded with            development.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;            succulent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147C. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A; when exposed            to full sunlight, margins become closer to 185B in color;            venation, close to 147B. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: Close to 148B; venation, close to 147B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; succulent.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flowering habit and arrangement.—Fully double rotate flowers            clustered in terminal cymes; freely flowering habit with            potentially about 20 to 50 flowers developing per            inflorescence during the flowering season; flowers face            mostly upright; flowers remain open during the day and early            evening and do not close until late at night.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about six            to eight weeks after planting; in the garden, plants flower            recurrently from mid-spring to mid-autumn in Italy.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about three days on the            plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3.5 cm.        -   Flower length (height).—About 1.5 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 147B.        -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five petals in a single            whorl. Length: About 1.7 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape:            Obovate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 14A. Fully            opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 14A to 14B; after            anthesis, color becomes closer to 17A.        -   Petaloids.—Quantity and arrangement: About 100 clustered at            the center of the flower. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width; About            2.5 mm, variable. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Acute to            acuminate, variable. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 14A. Fully            opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 14A to 14B; after            anthesis, color becomes closer to 17A.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Two, opposite. Length:            About 1 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute.            Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface:            Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous;            leathery. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 147C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:            Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;            succulent. Color: Close to 146C.        -   Reproductive organs.—None observed as all reproductive            organs are transformed into petaloids.        -   Seeds & fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Portulaca.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Portulaca have been observed    to have excellent garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind,    drought, heat and low temperatures about 10° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Portulaca have been    observed to be resistant to Phytophthora. Plants of the new    Portulaca have not been shown to be resistant to pests and other    pathogens common to Portulaca plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Portulaca plant named ‘LAZPRT1502’as illustrated and described.